[Extract]
(No 11)

. . . the Gentn you mention for Leiutts for Capt Roche² I am sure are very good men but I Immagine the Committee will not appoint officers for a ship as soon as she is rais'd besides You'll find by some of my former letters that Capt Roche's Carrecter is impeachd & its uncertain whether he will b~ continud in the Command & in case he shod be removd, perhaps those Gentn wod not chuse to go in the ship, ー be this as it may the berths will be keept for them till Roches affair is determin[e]d, ー You have done very well in procur'd a number of masts if they are not wanted for the Navy they may be shipt for Europe where no doubt they will be exceptable, ー

Inclosed you have the dementions for the 74 Gun ship, I suppose they will be serviceable in preparing the Timber it is not desired that the Building of her shod be so Hurrid as to be any disadvantage to the ship I hope no pains will be spaired to make her as good a ship as can be Built in Am[e]rica I wish the accounts of the Raleigh co'd be sent forward, I expected they wod have been here some time ago, Please to observe there shod be a seperate accot of what you pay the People ー

Yesterday Letters were receiv'd from Dr F[ranklin] which were dated at Nants a few days after his arrival there he was to set out for Paris in a day or two he was receivd with great joy & no doubt will be so receivd at Court for the accots receivd there for some time before his arrival were all on the dark side, a demand has been made of Mr Deane by the British Court which was possitively refused by the Court of France very great preparations for war, are making all over Europe there does not seem to be the least doubt of a general war the last Letters from France was the 10th Deer its now time to Expect later & more interesting intelligence . . .